Modernizing Canada's Approach to the Global Marketplace - Getting Governance Right in Trade Policy and Management. While Canada?s exports have grown to half of the country?s nongovernmental output under the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the NAFTA, Ottawa?s governance structures neither reflect nor reinforce the primordial importance of trade policy and trade markets in Canadian public policy. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade continues to prioritize diplomacy over trade, to the detriment of Canada?s trade relationships, especially with the United States, and the development of new ones, particularly in the exploding Asian markets of China and India, where Canada?s share of trade has actually declined. Paul Stothart, a former policy advisor to the minister of International Trade, examines Canada?s institutional frameworks and concludes it?s time for reform of the governance structure to improve the responsiveness of the system, enhance Canadian competitiveness and target new markets.

By Institute for Research on Public Policy, Canada.

International Trade Policy Resource.